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Harry Kane has told Tottenham he wants to leave the club this summer, sources have told ESPN.
Sources said the England captain expressed his desire to move on during a face-to-face meeting with chairman Daniel Levy and would prefer to remain in the Premier League.
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Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea have all lodged their interest with Kane’s representatives but it remains to be seen whether any club will offer the £150 million it will likely take to convince Spurs to sell.
Kane had repeatedly dropped hints over his frustration over a lack of silverware despite becoming one of the Premier League’s most prolific strikers, scoring 165 goals in 243 appearances to sit seventh on the all-time list.
However, he is yet to win a trophy with either Tottenham or England. The club’s most recent setback came last month when they lost the Carabao Cup Final to City 1-0 at Wembley.
Head coach Jose Mourinho was sacked six days before that game after a disappointing campaign in which they will miss out on Champions League qualification barring a mathematical miracle in the final week of the season.
Despite this, Kane’s individual performances have remained strong. With 22 goals and 13 assists, only Bayern Munich‘s Robert Lewandowski (40) and Lionel Messi (39) have more goal involvements in Europe’s top five leagues in this season.
Kane has not handed in a transfer request and, significantly, he has three years remaining on his current £200,000-a-week contract.
Spurs are therefore in a strong negotiating position should Levy sanction his departure but the chairman remains reluctant to lose the club’s prized asset, even for what would be one of the biggest transfer fees in history.
Sources say Kane is hopeful the situation can be resolved before the start of Euro 2020 on June 11, however, and that confidence could be based on unconfirmed reports suggesting he was keen to move on last summer but was convinced by Levy to give the club one more year in return for a softer stance at the end of this season should he still want to find a new club.
A club spokesman declined to comment directly on Kane’s future, telling ESPN: “Our focus is on finishing the season as strongly as possible. That’s what everyone should be focused on.”
If Spurs are to grant their captain’s wish, they would prefer a club abroad so as not to strengthen a domestic rival, but Kane’s main suitors are all likely to be English.
Chelsea are in the market for a striker this summer and would not be put off by the price tag given they hold an active interest in Borussia Dortmund‘s Erling Haaland, whose contract would command a similar fee.
Levy has a difficult relationship with Chelsea arising from previous transfers, however, which may therefore hand an advantage to United or City.
Fans have protested at the owners, ENIC, and Levy’s handling of the club in the wake of their involvement in the failed Super League project, and around 10,000 supporters will be able to attend their final home game of the season against Aston Villa on Wednesday once coronavirus restrictions are lifted.